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The breakup of a marriage often involves heated, angry, hurt feelings. Despite this, many couples identify maintaining family harmony as a top goal in reorganizing their lives and moving their separate ways. Collaborative law with Pittsburgh family law attorneys is a way to work through the details of a divorce in a fair, cordial, private and cost-effective manner. It facilitates communication between the divorcing spouses to enable them to make decisions […]

In high-income child support cases, the parent who is paying child support might feel the guidelines provide more income than the custodial parent can reasonably spend, particularly for an infant or toddler. On the other hand, the child support guidelines were enacted years ago to ensure that all children at a particular income level are treated the same, with predictable outcomes that encourage parents to settle out of court. The […]

On December 31, 2018, the tax deduction for alimony will be ending under new federal tax laws.  If you are in the middle of a divorce, or thinking about it, you might want to sit up and take notice. As author of the legal tax reference Frumkes & Vertz on Divorce Taxation, I’ve been reporting on and teaching colleagues all about these changes. Here are some explanations why decisive action […]

One of the most common questions asked of a divorce lawyer is “How much is this going to cost?”  While your lawyer cannot ultimately control the cost of your case, here are five tips to help ensure your divorce is as cost-efficient as possible: If possible, work directly with your spouse. While you will need to rely on the expertise of your lawyer for many decisions, if you can agree […]

In a recent survey, nearly 65 percent of Americans told CreditCards.com they lose sleep worrying about financial concerns. Everyday financial stresses weigh us down and those worries are bound to be compounded by a divorce. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to prepare yourself and your finances for divorce to minimize uncertainty and help you sleep easier. Follow these three easy steps: First, it is critical to have a […]

No two marriages are the same, and so it only follows no two divorces will be the same either. While the majority of divorcing couples today choose the traditional model of litigated divorce, keep in mind litigated does not mean the divorce ends up in court. In fact, the vast majority of all divorce cases are resolved by an out-of-court settlement agreement, each choosing a slightly different route of dispute […]